Pokémon Mystery Dungeon - The Dimension Stone
by Cenobia100
Summary: A Treecko finds a mysterious amnesiac Mudkip in a storm who claims to be a human, but after being saved from a bolt of lightning, the two Pokemon go on a journey for answers hidden long ago. (A Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction)
1. Chapter 1 - Fated Meeting

**Author's Note - This is an original Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Story. My goal is for each chapter to be 3000 Words Minimum, with that target going up as the story goes. So enjoy, and please review, I really want some immediate feedback, be it critical or not, although preferably the former.**

* * *

**Chapter 1 - Fated Meeting**

* * *

**Mysterious Clearing**

_All around, the distant wave of the leaves of the trees, the simple breeze floating by, the hissing of the wind as it rushed around me, whirling around my body, a faint cry of pain whimpering from my closed mouth. I try to stand, feeling rough and grimy earth beneath my form. The smell of morning dew on the sea of grass hit me, and I felt my senses beginning to shut down. My eyes blinked, trying to keep myself from falling unconscious again._

_A slight patter of rain, dripping down from the heavens, a large blanket of dark grey clouds looming above me, and as I felt my vision blur, I heard a cracking sound, a loud thunderous boom, followed by a large flash of white light. They continued in a pattern, the boom and the light, the thunder and the lightning, and as the droplets began to fall faster, I felt my eyes slide shut. All I could feel was a river, washing itself around me, rushing me towards the darkness, covering me in a clear blue liquid. _

_And then there was only darkness..._

* * *

**Everglade Path**

"Hmmm, now which way was it again?"

The sound of soft footsteps on a gravel path, the thump of something hitting the floor, and the annoyed pains of one who had just fallen onto the ground. That was what could be heard in the Everglade Forest that day. For, one traveller was walking along the road, avoiding rocks that had long since implanted themselves in the path, and had long since just become an obstacle for the curious adventurer to overcome. The rustle of paper was then heard, and then, with a large sigh, there was the same sound of soft footsteps, caused by something you would not see in the world of Humans.

This traveller was different. He was small, smaller than a human, reaching up to a fully grown human's stomach in height. His skin was coated in green scales, although the light green blended the scales in so well, that you could hardly tell there were any indentations. There was a small pouch hanging from the waist of the traveller, the waist being a soft orange and red colour, faint lines going through the underbelly, like a pattern. Piercing green eyes gazed out into the wilderness, and as the traveller came out into a small clearing on the path, his head seemed to curve at the top, making a slight heart shaped indentation.

This person was known, in the World of Humans, as a Pokémon, an entire species of animals that had evolved to learn natural powers. Hundreds had been discovered, and over eighteen different types had been found. This Pokémon was known as a Treecko, a Tree Gecko, a Pokémon that had the power over the elements of plants, being the grass type. He was mainly used to battle against other trainers, but that was in the human world. Here, he is a teenager, just another citizen in search of a dream.

"There should be a sign around here," The Treecko sighed, walking to the opposite side of the clearing, ignoring the sunlight that was slowly burning down his back. He held his hands to his hips for a moment, giving a small scan of his surroundings, unable to see a single wooden signpost, eventually looking down in defeat.

"I'll never find Coral Town at this rate," He groaned, the Gecko falling to the floor, landing in a sitting position, dust rising up into the air, as the Pokémon thought about his next move.

You see, this Pokémon here was travelling around the region, and his next stop was a small seaside village called Coral Town. It sat in between the forest and the edge of a pristine ocean, but the forest was known for its trickery, and many a Pokémon were lost under the eaves of the everglades.

Looking up, the Pokémon saw that some white clouds had just come in, across some of the distant mountains to the North, back the way he had came. Looking at the soft and velvety clouds, he could not help but smile. It was a rather beautiful sight, a bright blue sky, a few white clouds to make sure it did not get too heated on the surface, and of course, for those Pokémon that lived near such lands, a meadow or a field to just lay down at, maybe underneath the shadow of a tree, just watching the days go by, not a care in the world, that was their dream.

But that was for the lazy, for those that did not want to experience what life had to offer them.

The Treecko hopped up, not wanting to waste any more time than he had. He had not gone on this trip to sightsee, he had gone to become stronger, to discover new places, to find valuable treasures. This Treecko wanted to explore the vast reaches of the region, become a legend that would be spoken of for a long time, that was his dream; but it was also his wildest fantasy.

Beginning, yet another trek down the path into the Everglade Forest, the Pokémon thought about his own problems. He was shy, but he was determined. He was not very strong, but that was why he needed to train, to become stronger. He wanted to be remembered... But he was nothing more than a simple forest Treecko, with big dreams and little grasp of reality. Dreams did come true, but miracles did not.

Looking back up at the sky, the Treecko tensed up, noticing that the sky had gotten much cloudier. There was still a blue sky, but some of the soft clouds he had seen, mere minutes before, had become darker, more visible to the eye. This was not good for the grass type, who knew exactly what the clouds meant, and as determined as he was, he knew he would not make it to Coral Town after a storm had began.

Yes, the clouds were darkening, coming from across the mountains, where the weather was always wet and rainy, the Cold North, the opposite of the Warm South. The climate there was perfect for those Pokémon seeking to train their body and mind, but the training was heavy, and the toll it took on you was unbearable. The Treecko would not survive up there, and that is why he came south. To seek training from a different source, but enough of that now.

As the first droplets of rain began to drop from the canopy, the forest Gecko took another moment to look at his surroundings. None of the trees looked very inviting here, nor were they inhabitable by any means, and he should know. He had lived in the trees for most of his life. His entire kind had lived in a town filled with trees, hollowing out the trunks to make a very comfy living space, but unlike the trees in the Everglade Forest, the trees of his town were much wider.

"I need to find shelter, and fast!" The Pokémon groaned, finally letting his thoughts take control of the matter at hand. His eyes darted left, then right, trying to spot a place where the trees were denser. The chances of shelter would be much higher in comparison to those places with less trees, and if the thunderous nature of the storm threatened to reveal itself, then it would be safer to be in a grove of trees, rather than under one single plant.

Spotting a large forested area to his left, the Treecko darted into the trees, jumping over the trunks skilfully, as the rain began to fall down, no longer a light sprinkle, but a heavy shower, the sound of the rain hitting the floor becoming nullified, as the Treecko got used to it.

A sudden flash of light, and he felt himself trip forwards, blinded for a moment as his leg caught itself on a root. But he did not stop there, his figure rolling forwards, a small hill in front of him. Smacking into different objects, there was another loud sound, like a crash, and he smacked into a trunk, his little trip stopping abruptly.

"Gah!" He cried out, eyes closed in pain.

The rain continued to hammer down as the Treecko slowly unwrapped itself from its position on the tree, flopping to the soggy earth, slightly dazed as he looked around. Trees were all around him, as far as the eye could see. The hill he had fallen down was too steep to climb back up in the rain, muddy terrain being the least of his problems. He could feel a cut on his leg, and looking down, a small trail of blood sat there, dripping.

"That smarts..." He groaned, pulling himself up into a standing position. The cut throbbed for a moment in pain, but then slowly began to calm down, and the Gecko finally got into a small walking speed. Wherever he was walking to, he knew one thing. "I need shelter..."

Pushing through some branches, he was surprised to see a faint light emanating from behind some trees, just a few paces away. Stepping closer, curiosity got the better of him, and he quickly hopped over to the trees, peering through the tree-line and into a small clearing.

It was grassy, dark green blades of grass sticking up, untouched by rocks or boulders. A few small yellow flowers grew there, shooting up from the floor, making a contrast to the dark forest. And then, past the flowers, there was something else. Something like a small bundle, blue... "What is that?"

The Treecko hopped into the clearing, feeling the rain dripping down onto his shoulders, and he let out a shiver, before continuing on towards the blue object; except it was not an object at all, because as he got closer to the blue thing, he realized that it was moving, up and down, breathing in and out. It was a fainted Pokémon!

The Treecko was by its side in a second, darting over to see what had happened. The Pokémon was laid out across the grass, in a ball shape. As the Gecko looked down at it, he saw bright orange cheeks, three small spikes on both cheeks, and it made him jump for a moment. Slightly nervous, he tapped the unconscious Pokémon, seeing if he could get a reaction, and he saw the light blue fin on its head move, twitching!

"Uh - Hello?"

Another twitch, and then the breathing became faster, and as the Treecko peered closer, trying to see if the Pokémon was okay, he was greeted with two light aqua blue eyes, staring straight back at him.

"Waaaaa!" The Treecko cried out, jumping backwards, falling over his feet, tripping up into the yellow flowers adorning the area.

The mystery Pokémon looked over to the Treecko, eyes glowing slightly, as it picked itself up off of the floor, wincing slightly as it did. And as it stood up, the Forest Gecko got a good look at the species of Pokémon it was. Other than the head fin, and the orange spiky cheeks, it had a pale blue underbelly, walked on four legs, and had a pale blue tail fin. I flicker of recognition passed across the green eyes of the Treecko, and he looked at the Pokémon in surprise.

"W-where am I?" The mystery Pokémon groaned, eyes droopily looking around.

"Y-You're in the Everglade Forest," The Treecko stuttered, slowly stepping away from the new Pokémon, shuddering slightly as it looked in his eyes.

The Pokémon just looked at him, confusion etched across his face. "Everglade For-" And then it paused, eyes widening, the blue Pokémon stepping backwards, tripping over its back feet.

"Are you okay?" The green Pokémon questioned, taking a cautious step towards the other, who was now lying on the floor, staring straight up at the sky, shaking tremendously.

Within moments, the Pokémon bounced up off of the ground, eyes catching sight of the Treecko, before shouting, "A talking Pokémon! Y-Y-you're t-t-talking!?" Taking another step back, the Pokémon looked around, fear embedded in his eyes. "How is this happening? Pokémon can't talk, right? I must be dreaming!?"

The Treecko looked at the Pokémon, raising his eyes slightly. _Have I just found a nutcase? _

"Speak for yourself, Mudkip," The Treecko replied, the same frown on his face.

The Mudkip then stopped, looking over at the Treecko, a look of confusion on his face. "I'm not a Mudkip, I'm a human being!" The Mudkip shouted, his voice giving away a distressed tone.

"No, you look like a Mudkip! Are you nuts or something?" The Treecko rolled his eyes as the Mudkip turned his head to look at his body, and he just froze there for a moment, and the Treecko could only watch in slight fear. _Oh god, he must be an escaped lunatic or something! He is definitely not a human, I mean, they haven't been seen for years, not since they made us all intelligent, and here this Mudkip is, pretending to be a human... Oh man, I need to get out of here!_

"I... I've really turned into a Mudkip," The blue water type gasped, causing the Treecko to snap out of his thoughts. "But I can't remember anything... My head, it hurts so much..."

"You must be delusional," The Gecko groaned, turning away from the Mudkip. "Please, just keep away. You freak me out!"

The Mudkip turned around, looking straight at the Treecko, head tilted slightly, eyes raised. "You think I freak you out, Mr Treecko. Well, try waking up as a Mudkip with no memories!" The Mudkip raged, angrily turning away, before trying to take a step in the opposite direction, legs buckling slightly.

"I have a name you know! It's Ozzy! Not Mr Treecko!" The Treecko, named Ozzy, growled, huffing as he also turned away from the Mudkip, both of them steaming angry.

"Well my name's Ewan! And **I am **a human!" The Mudkip, known as Ewan, shouted, before pausing for a moment. "Or at least... I was."

As Ewan turned to look at Ozzy again, he was surprised to see that the Treecko had vanished, and he silently sighed, looking down at the grass.

_Why can't I remember anything? I mean, I know I was a human. I don't know how, but I do, I just have a feeling... And now I'm a Mudkip? That doesn't even make any sense! And it doesn't help that I don't have hands, just four paws! How am I supposed to feel about all of this? Talk about an out of body experience..._

Looking up, Ewan's eyes saw that there were dark clouds hanging in the air, and the rain was steadily getting worse and worse. A sudden rattling of the teeth, and the Mudkip knew he needed to ask questions later, find shelter now!

Moving his front left paw, he tried to move his front right paw, but he felt himself trip onto the grass again. Looking backwards, he saw the source of his problem. _Right, I have back legs now... _Lifting both his front left leg, and his back left leg, he moved them forwards, doing the same with the right legs, letting his paws touch upon the grass. It was a weird feeling, but he needed to get used to it, or he'd be stuck in the rain for hours.

After adjusting himself to a slow walk, Ewan began to pace over to the tree line, noticing a strange feeling on his head. Shaking his head slightly, he could feel something attached to him, a fin, sitting there, as if it were the most normal thing imaginable. "This is so weird..."

He felt himself trip over his feet again, smacking his head on the rough bark of a tree, grunting as he felt the familiar throb of pain that just refused to give him a break.

Suddenly, he felt something hit the ground nearby him, a flash of light blocking his view for a moment, and when he turned to see the problem, the charred grass that had been hit made him tremble, as if something was terrifying him. It was just a bit of lightning, right?

_It was lightning._

* * *

"Who does that guy think he is?" Ozzy grumbled, moving his pouch around his waist so that it would not be soaked by the rain. The canopy of the tree leaves finally managed to give him some cover, but not nearly enough to last the night. But he did not care, all of his thoughts were on the Mudkip in the clearing.

_That guy has to be psycho crazy, I mean, since when did Pokémon think they were humans? It just doesn't make sense! Why am I still thinking about this anyway? I have to find shelter... Find shelter... shelter... yeah..._

Continuing his pathway through the mud, he tried to forget about the Mudkip, and instead focus on his own quest, his quest to become stronger, and to help out Pokémon in need! That was his dream! And then it all smacked into his head like a ton of breaks, and he turned around, looking back in the direction of the clearing.

_That Mudkip, he may be nuts, but he needs help. Isn't that what I have to do? Help Pokémon in need? But then - what am I doing running away!? I need to go help that guy!_

He sighed, putting a paw to his head, before taking off in the direction of the clearing. Loud booms and bright flashes were getting worse, the closer he got to the clearing, and as he came across the tree-line, he bounded out into the grass, noticing that the Mudkip was no longer where he was before. The grass seemed to have been crushed, wilted and bent down, meaning the Mudkip had to have walked somewhere, or at least tried.

Another flash of light, and a sizzling sound to his right caused him to turn, noticing the burned up grass that was mere paces away from him. Looking up, the rain fell around the sides of his vision, and a bright flash of light illuminated the sky. _Since when had lightning been striking down here?_

And then he heard the whimpering, just a faint sound, coming along the wind to meet him. It sounded quiet, but the unmistakable fear in its tone was there. Turning to his left, the small blue form of the Mudkip came into view, huddled against a tree, shaking tremendously. For a moment, Ozzy just stood there confused, but when another flash lit up the sky, he noticed the Mudkip tense.

"He's afraid of the lightning, duh," Ozzy said relieved, mentally slapping himself for his stupidity. "Water types don't like electricity..."

Taking some steps towards the tree, he saw the Mudkip still curled up, not wanting to move away from his position. "Hey? Mudkip... Uh, Ewan?" Ozzy called out, taking a few more steps towards the other boy, who uncurled for a moment, looking straight into the blue eyes of the scared one. "Come on, I'll help you if you want."

Ewan nodded for a moment, Ozzy now just a few paces from him, holding out his paw for Ewan to take. Gladly, Ewan moved one of his paws to grasp the one Ozzy held out, but just as they made contact, another flash of light, and this time Ewan saw it coming.

The lightning, blue and yellow, white and pure, slashed through the air, slicing down towards the two of them, the Treecko not even noticing the oncoming burst of electric energy. In a quick flash, there was a sizzle, and scream, and then a burning smell filled the clearing. Ozzy, now face down on the ground, quickly jumped up, ready to shout at Ewan, when his words fell short, and his mouth went dry.

Ewan sat there, face down on the ground, black charred marks across his back. Some of his skin had been penetrated by the shock wave, and his breathing was hitched, in pain. Quickly moving over to the Mudkip, Ozzy began to call out for the creature in earnest. "Ewan, come on - don't do this to me, okay? Just stay breathing and I'll do... I'll think of something! Just keep yourself awake, or alive - I mean-" Ozzy slammed the ground with his paw in frustration, fear clouding his own thoughts, as he realized he could not do anything...

"I don't have a choice..." Ozzy whispered to himself, moving to Ewan's side. "Okay, Mudkip, I'm going to carry you, just - just keep alive!" Slipping his paws underneath the rather heavy Mudkip, he managed to lift Ewan up, before slinging him over his shoulder. And then, with that, he began to trudge back into the forest.

"That hit, that must have hurt him so much, being a water type..." Ozzy winced as he thought of the burn marks, letting beads of sweat drop from his forehead. As he looked back up into the canopy of the trees, he began to notice the sky lightening up. Had the rain done enough damage to them and decided to leave? Or was it sheer dumb luck? Whatever it was, if the rain had still been there, Ozzy would have given up hope of saving Ewan.

And must have been minutes later, when finally, he felt the warm heat of the sun on his neck, and he smiled for a moment, his vigour returning, giving one last burst of hope to get out of this damned forest and to the Coral Town! He had to make it there! To save the Mudkip from death!

His knees buckled slightly as he began a slight descent in terrain, and as his eyes got used to the lighter vision, with the sun shining, he noticed the trees were thinning. The bark around the trees was becoming a lot browner, healthier, and lighter too. The trees were growing smaller, and then he heard something that made him smile. The sound of water, just faint and in the distance, but it was the sound of crashing water, an ocean!

"We're almost there Ewan, keep it together, just don't faint on me," The Treecko consoled, the Mudkip giving a loud groan in pain as he was jerked forwards slightly by a root. And then, moment by moment, the Mudkip's eyes fell shut, and as Ozzy noticed this, his speed increased, but by that point, the world of the Mudkip had grown dark, and only an abyss of sleep was before him.

* * *

**Abyss**

_"Is he gonna be okay?" _

_"The burns are rather serious, but nothing a few days of rest and some burn heal won't fix."_

_"So he's going to live then?"_

_"Of course he's going to live. Just gotta give him time to recover, especially from an injury due to type disadvantages."_

_"Thank you... Ewan, I'll be here for you... We may have only just met, but I feel like I can trust you. I mean, you saved us both from that lightning strike. We could have both been toast, but you did a very selfless thing there... If you can hear me, I just want to thank you, and... It may take time for me to understand, but I want to see the truth for myself."_

_"You know, about being human and all. So, I'll be waiting for you to wake up, and when you do, I'll help you out as best I can, since that's what Destiny Teams do!"_

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**Author's Note - Just about over 4000 Words, not too bad for a first chapter.**

**So now you know our two main stars, Ewan the Mudkip, and Ozzy the Treecko, and you can view their bios on my profile, although any plot information on there is subject to change, but the personality stuff is the same. Anyways, please review if you can, I would love some feedback, and I will see you with chapter two. **

**~ Cenobia100**


	2. Chapter 2 - Mysterious World

**Hello again - Quick Author's Note before we begin.**

**I would just like to thank you guys for giving the first chapter a go, and I hope I can create a great story for you all. Now with that out of the way, onto the story.**

**(For more up to date info on the story, follow my DeviantArt where I will be posting story updates, any potential problems, etc, all there! The link is in my profile)**

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**Chapter 2 - Mysterious World**

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**Coral Town**

_"Ugh..." _

Ewan's eyes fluttered open, feeling an intense pounding in his head, the moment he let the light pierce his eyes. It was like somebody had thrown him into a dark room for days, and suddenly switched on the lights. Moving a paw to shield his eyes, he let himself get used to the bright rays, before blinking a few moments later. There was a small circular window to his right, and that was where the light was coming from.

Pushing himself upwards, he was surprised to see a bed of straw and hay, a nest, underneath him. Had he slept in that? Looking to the ground, he went to stand up, succeeding in tripping down to the ground, finally noticing the blue scales of skin that he had. He felt the unfamiliar fin on his head, and the weird tail behind him.

"Still a Pokémon - great," He grumbled, pushing himself into another standing position, using his four legs to support him. "But it all feels so weird and unnatural, like I've been thrown into this with no warning..."

His eyes seemed to move about the room, taking in the small furnishings around him. Other than the nest bed, there was a small desk with a glowing lamp on top, the window he had seen before, and straight ahead of his bed, near a wooden oak door, a small bookcase sat. Nothing special, just the basic furniture you would find in any home. Although, there was one thing that caught his attention.

Just by the window, a small piece of paper sat, and scrawled on the front of the paper, some weird symbols were hastily written down. He could tell they had been put down in a hurry, since it was all scribbled on. They looked like footprints, except not quite the same. Like ancient hieroglyphs, or something like that. "I wonder if it was a note..."

Ewan tried to grab at the note, but failed quickly after realising his paws just would not allow it. After a few minutes of trying and failing, the note slipped from the window sill, and floated to the ground, where it skidded over to where the door was.

The new Mudkip was about to try again when he heard the sound of something creaking, eyes widening as the door slowly began to open. Ewan just stood there, suddenly self conscious of himself. Looking down, he realised he was wearing no clothes, just the scales on his skin. Oh, how embarrassing!

Before Ewan had time to move, the door swung completely wide open, revealing a large pink egg shaped figure. Ewan looked at it for a moment, and for some reason, the name 'Chansey' came to mind. The figure had two small black eyes, was completely bright pink, and had a small pouch on its stomach where a small white egg-looking object sat. It had six small tufts on the sides of its head, three on each side, that seemed to fall down, like dreadlocks, only creepier.

"Oh you're awake! Thank goodness - I mean we thought you would take at least a few more days to open those little blue eyes of yours, but this is great!" The voice was female, and very high at that. Ewan found himself trying to block out the screeching, but to no avail. "Oh, what's this on the floor?" She asked, a small frown on her face. "Have you been littering in my hospital?"

"Wha- No! It just fell and I can't pick it up!" Ewan explained, taking a small step backwards. "Um, what exactly are you?"

She gave him a weird look, walking straight up to him and grabbing his head for a moment, before exclaiming, "You didn't hit your head too hard did you?" She gave him a very worried glance, before looking back at the note.

"Not that I can remember. I've just never seen your kind around before," Ewan rambled, giving a small nervous smile, to which the female returned with a happy grin.

"Oh, you must come from somewhere else then. Well, I'm Janet, and I'm the Chansey running this hospital!" Janet gave a large grin, gesturing to the room, and the door. "This is where we take care of all of the sick Pokémon."

"So you're a Pokémon then?" Ewan asked, looking at Janet with a sincere smile, although hoping inwardly that she didn't question him further.

She gave him another weird look, before shaking her head silently. After a few moments, she looked up at him and smiled. "Did your parents never let you out of the den or what? Everyone in this world is a Pokémon, me, you, the patients, everyone," She laughed, before turning her full attention to the note.

Ewan then got an idea, as she scanned the note. "Uh, do you have any idea what that says? My - um - parents..." He paused for a moment, thinking about people he couldn't even remember... It hurt a lot. "T-They never let me read much."

The Chansey gave him another weird look, but then turned back to the paper. "Of course, anything for a patient in need."

She read through the paper, word for word, and I wondered how she could read the thing. All of it just looked like mumbo jumbo to me.

_"Dear Ewan,_

_If you read this note, then that means I am not there for you when you wake up. I hope your wounds are feeling better, you were hit really hard with that thunderbolt. You've been our for a week now, and I'm getting a little worried. If you do wake up, I've already paid the fees for your treatment to Janet, the loving and caring Chansey, who always helps other in need-"_ I raised my brow, looking at her with suspicion, but she refused to meet my gaze, a small bead of sweat rolling down her forehead.

_"So you will be able to leave whenever you can. I'll be doing some shopping for supplies today, and I'll be leaving Coral Town at around two o'clock. Since you don't have anywhere to go right now, how about coming along with me for a bit. _

_Your friend, Ozzy."_

When the Chansey finished, I felt my mind snap back to that name. _Ozzy... Wasn't that the name of that Treecko, the one that I met when I woke up in the storm? What would he want with me? I thought he didn't like me - but he did rescue me, and he paid for my hospital bill..._

"Excuse me, Mr Ewan, you are free to go now. Don't be having any more accidents now, but if you do, the Chansey Hospital is here for you," Janet grinned, before showing Ewan the door. Within moments, he was out of the hospital, walking rather oddly, and unable to comprehend what had happened just then.

"Did she just kick me out?"

Brushing it off, Ewan looked away from the hospital, and looked straight ahead, noticing the small town that had settled itself on the land.

Coral Town was a rather small place. There were wooden huts, decorated with all different colours of straw. Bright blues, dark purples, some lime green here and there, crimson red, and bright yellow too. The colours seemed favourable to the eye, and left a very cheery look for the town. Around the huts were fields of grass, some small trees growing here and there, multicoloured flowers dotting the earth, and just beyond the fields and the huts, the wide open ocean stretched out, blue crystal water, shimmering and glistening as the waves crashed onto the shoreline.

To Ewan's left was a large path, a dirt road which led out into the wilderness. There were fields and meadows rolling off in that direction as well, and in the distance, the water-type thought he could see some dark green trees covering a large portion of a mountain, or a large hill. It was like nature had taken over the land, or taken back the land...

The Mudkip just sighed, looking around for something to do, somewhere to walk. He didn't feel like wandering into town and getting lost; he didn't even know where he was. All he knew was that this town was called Coral Town, and that he had saved some Treecko from a thunderbolt a week before! Why did life have to be so confusing?

And then he realized something else. The Treecko had never told him where to meet the guy, so he had no idea what to do, or where to go... Sighing, Ewan decided to at least get out of the sun for a while, and walked - or at least he slipped and slid - over to one of the large meadows where there was a particularly large tree. The leaves blocked out the sun over a lot of the grass, providing some much needed shade from the burning heat.

"Why am I here?" He wondered, looking up into the blue sky. Some small white clouds were drifting along, floating on the breeze, and Ewan felt himself smile a bit. "At least this place is appealing..."

He sat there, watching the clouds drift by, feeling the cool refreshing breeze on his skin, for hours, waiting for something, anything to happen. He wanted to move, to be active, but his body was telling him no, and these instincts, these wild emotions, were stronger than anything he had felt before.

"How the heck did I become a Pokémon anyway? I was a human, I'm sure of it..." His thoughts, his questions, they all seemed to float away, much like the clouds he was watching, and as his new body relaxed, he felt sleep pull him under.

* * *

**Unknown Location**

_Ewan opened his eyes, shuddering slightly as he saw that he was no longer underneath a clear blue sky. Instead, the sky was fading in and out, pulsing, different colours appearing with each unique pulse. Reds, yellows, greens and blues. He tried to stand up, only to see that solid ground had vanished. Beneath his feet, the floor pulsated, dark red and crimson, black and grey, dark and evil colours, all radiating beneath him._

_It was at that moment when he realized that he was floating, neither going up nor down, left nor right. He was just hanging there in the middle of the space, completely suspended and unmoveable. _

_"Hello?" His voice called out, echoing across the featureless expanse. For some reason he felt nervous, he felt sick to his stomach, a small fear building up inside, as he tried to call out again. "Is anybody there? Hello!?"_

_And then he heard it, a faint cry, a voice perhaps. "Hello?! Can you hear me? Whoever you are? Wherever you are; I need help!"_

_**"H...m...e...l...p..."**_

_It was just too faint for the Mudkip to make out, and even with the tiny bits of sound he could hear, there just was not enough. And then it happened, so suddenly that it felt unreal. Time seemed to slow for Ewan, the colours fading away from him, but he realized, with shock, that he was actually falling down into the abyss he had seen. Into the red and the grey... The black..._

_"No! Help me! Please!"_

_It was just so far off that he could hardly see anything, but there it was, right above him, except not right above him... More like far away, but above him, a shadowy figure appeared, fading in and out, just like the colours, hidden from view. Ewan felt like he needed to find out about this thing, whatever it was. He felt that whatever it was made the noises he heard._

_Black swarmed his vision, feeling the darkness wrap around him, ensnare him, dragging him into the abyssal depths, and all Ewan could do was scream and fight, the colours now non-existent, only darkness..._

_"HELP!"_

* * *

**Coral Town**

Ewan opened his eyes, jumping up to the his feet, tripping over slightly as he stood. His eyes darted left and right, the serene scenery of Coral Town all around him. The fields and meadows were there, the straw and wood huts that belonged to the town residents sat by the ocean, and as he looked up, his breathing rapidly increased, the normal blue sky with its numerous clouds greeted him.

He sighed, taking in for a moment what had happened. The colours, the darkness, the voice and the figure, had it all just been a part of his own imagination. Was it a dream - a nightmare perhaps... or something far more sinister? He only had a few moments to think about though, when a familiar figure popped up behind him.

"Ewan, are you okay?" The voice asked, sounding rather familiar to the Mudkip, and as he turned to look at the figure, he saw the smiling form of the Treecko that he had met in the woods when he had first woke up. What was his name? Ozzy? Yeah, that was it.

"Hey," He muttered, noticing a worn leather pouch attached to the Treecko's stomach. He felt curious, he wanted to ask about the pouch's contents, but ultimately decided against it. He had only just met the Pokémon, for goodness sake!

Ozzy just looked at him quizzically, before seeming to catch on to Ewan's thoughts. "Right, we're still complete strangers aren't we," He grinned, sitting down next to Ewan under the shade of the tree. "Well, I'm Ozzy, I'm a Treecko, and I rescued you last week in the forest."

"I know that much," I frowned, giving him a weird look. Did he think I was stupid or something?

"Just testing you. That thunderbolt hit you pretty hard, and Janet said you might have had side-effects, like in the brain," Ozzy whispered, motioning to his head, before twirling his finger around. Ewan just glared at him. He wasn't crazy!

"You know I'm not insane right?" Ewan pouted, giving a rather sarcastic look to the Treecko. "I just want to know why I'm suddenly a Pokémon and not a human."

Ozzy just looked at him, his face unreadable. "Claiming you used to be human is a _pretty crazy thing_ to me," The grass-type muttered under his breath, the water-type giving him a rather annoyed glare. "But you saved my life, so I guess you can't be a bad Pokémon."

"I saved your life?" Ewan asked, a curious look appearing on his face. He raised a brow, but then realised what the Treecko was going on about. "Oh, you mean the giant thunderbolt that would have killed us both. Yeah, I remember now!"

"You're really sassy, you know that Ewan," Ozzy grinned before hopping up off of the grass.

_Did he just call me sassy? How am I sassy? I just want some answers, that's all! _Ewan rolled his eyes, hopping up as well as Ozzy began walking away from the tree. "You coming Ewan?"

"When I get used to my new body, then yes," He grumbled, slowly tumbling over to Ozzy, his feet going off in all directions, but finally, he was starting to get the hang of it. "I don't get how you can all walk like this. Aren't there Mudkips that can walk on two legs?"

Ozzy stood in thought for a moment, before nodding to the Mudkip. "Yeah, there are a few _but _it takes a lot of practise. Maybe one day you'll learn Ewan." The Treecko chuckled for a moment, before motioning for the Mudkip to follow. "We've only got about six hours until nightfall, and I'd rather we get to my destination by then."

"Where are we going then?" Ewan asked, stumbling as they walked onto the dirt road, the Mudkip giving one last look at the hospital where he had been resting.

"To Paradisal Town!"

"Where?"

The Treecko turned around so suddenly that Ewan barely had time to register what had happened. "YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF PARADISAL TOWN!?"

"Uh - nope, I've never been here before, human and all that jazz, remember," Ewan nervously laughed, tilting his head slightly and giving a small smile.

The Treecko just stood there, lost in thought again, and Ewan rolled his eyes once more. "Paradisal Town is the major city in the Tempori Region of Pepromena! Please tell me you understand what I'm saying here!" Ozzy gave Ewan a pleading look, seeming very confused.

"No idea, sorry. You know, with that attitude, you'd be a really bad tourist guide, haha," Ewan grinned, taking a few steps forwards, trying to calm the situation down.

"How the heck did you end up this far into the Pepromena region without knowing where you were, or anything? Seriously, this is too weird!"

Ewan raised both of his brows, getting annoyed with the attitude of the Treecko. "I said I was a human before, and I was. I've never been to this region, I don't know how I got here, all I know is I'm a Pokémon and everyone else is a Pokémon. For the love of all that is sane, I have no idea about anything!" Ewan then stormed off in front, leaving Ozzy flabbergasted.

"Hey wait! I wasn't angry!" Ozzy called out, running to catch up with the Mudkip.

"Oh yeah, then can you at least try to believe me!" Ewan fumed, scrunching up dirt with his paws. "You offered me to travel with you, but if you don't even trust me, then why bother?"

"I do trust you! You saved me from getting killed by a thunderbolt, didn't you! I haven't forgotten that!" The Treecko reasoned, finally catching up with Ewan, who walked on, ignoring Ozzy. "Look, when you were unconscious... I made a sort of promise."

At these words, Ewan found himself turning around, looking into the grass green eyes of the Treecko. "A promise? What promise?"

Ozzy looked away, blushing slightly as he thought about the promise he had made... It was a rather embarrassing subject. He took a deep breath, and then he said, "I made a promise to help you out as best I can. Because I can trust you, and I know how selfless you can be. You proved that when you saved me, so I just felt like returning the favour..."

Ewan looked down for a moment, sighing slightly as he felt the dirt crunch beneath his feet. Looking over Ozzy's shoulder, he was surprised to see Coral Town was far in the distance. Turning his attention back to the Treecko in front of him, he looked him straight in the eyes and said, "Fine. I'll stick around with you. I-if you can trust me, of course..."

There was a slight pause as Ozzy mulled it over. Then he looked up, eyes shining. "Sure, I trust you. I may not be able to believe the whole 'Human' thing just yet, but maybe if I get to know you, I'll be able to judge for myself. If that's okay with you, Ewan."

The Mudkip found himself nodding, a small smile forming on his face as he looked at Ozzy. "Okay then - friend!"

"Friend!"

The two found themselves smiling, lost in their own thoughts for the moment as they thought about what had happened. Ozzy was overjoyed, he had a friend, somebody who he could trust, while Ewan was glad he had somebody to show him the workings of this new and strange world. After a moment, Ozzy started walking, before motioning for Ewan to follow.

"Come on then, we're burning daylight!" The Treecko hopped forwards along the path, while Ewan slowly trotted along behind, thinking about things.

* * *

**Forest Hills Path**

The path to Paradisal Town led through a large forest, filled with mounds and hills all around. The trees in the area where a dark brown, and the leaves were much larger, more of a dark green than the ones from the forest he had awakened in. The blue sky was barely visible over the canopy, but Ozzy had told him that there were many hills in the area where sunlight was in abundance.

"Just make sure not to go off of the path Ewan," Ozzy had warned as they entered the trees, following the dark brown path of dirt. Ewan had felt rather nervous at the warning, and for some reason, he felt the need to follow it.

There was just something about the woodland area around him that felt _off_. It was like a presence was fixated around the forest, and whatever it was felt a lot less cheerful than that of Coral Town. It made the Mudkip feel uneasy as he tried to keep up with his friend.

"Uh - Ozzy, is there a reason why this place looks so _hostile_?" He asked, looking at his friend who turned back to him, a smile on his face.

"Oh, it's nothing Ewan. Just don't walk into the woods. Wouldn't want you getting lost," Ozzy laughed, turning his head back to what was in front of him. Ewan couldn't help but shiver when Ozzy had told him about 'getting lost.' Something told him that Ozzy was keeping something from him, and he wanted to know.

But just as he was about to ask the Treecko what was going on, Ozzy had turned back, pointing towards a small beacon of light that shone through the canopy ahead. "Ewan, it's one of the hills of the forest. I'm sure the road will take us up it, so we'll get some good sunlight soon!"

Ewan gave a sigh of relief at that. The darkness of the forest was starting to creep him out, and he just wanted to be out of there. Although, if there was one good thing about the trip so far, it was that he had finally gotten a hang on walking on four legs. It was rather easy now, although not second nature... With time maybe...

"Here we are Ewan, one of the hills of the forest. I think this one's called the Mystery Hill." Ozzy took off down the path, and Ewan could see sunlight swallowing him up, and as the Mudkip emerged, he was greeted by a rather interesting sight. He was expecting just a hill that sloped up and down, but instead he got a hill that seemed to twist and turn in all different ways. There was a solitary tree on the top, and there were many flowers growing along the sides. It rose up from the ground, and Ewan could already feel the terrain sloping.

Trees were bunched all around the hill, making sure that there was no space other than the hill to walk. It was a rather weird path. _I'm surprised they haven't made space to walk around the hill. Weird..._

"Hey Ozzy, why is this called the Mystery Hill?" He asked, running up to his friend who was taking one of the turns up the path. As he looked up, he was surprised to see a sort of spire twisting around, and a small stone bridge sat on top, leading to another spire, which sloped back down into the forest. The solitary tree was on top of the spire across the bridge, sitting there like a beacon.

"Mystery to me, Ewan. I might have gotten the name wrong. There are quite a few hills in the area. I think the mystery is that the hills always change when you come through here."

"What?! They can change and move?" Ewan gasped.

"Well, I think the path moves. Most travellers always find a different hill when they pass through, but only the one. So no matter what hill it is, it's a Mystery Hill. Or at least, that's my guess for it all," Ozzy smiled as they reached the spire peak. "You wanna cross the bridge first, or should I?"

"Why not cross at the same time. It's a stone bridge, it should hold," Ewan mused, looking at the cracked stone with confusion. It may have been a little cracked, but surely it could hold up, right?

"Well, it's better to be safe than sorry," Ozzy grinned, taking a step onto the bridge. "I guess I'll go first then!"

But Ewan thought it was rather stupid, and as Ozzy was halfway across the bridge, Ewan decided he would go too. He stepped onto the bridge, feeling a small gust of wind blow him to the side slightly. It was then that he saw there were no hand rails or guards to stop him from falling off. He continued walking, keeping his balance, when Ozzy looked back at him, surprised and annoyed. "What did I say Ewan?"

"I don't know," The Mudkip smirked. "I can't hear you!" He chuckled to himself, taking another step forwards.

Within moments, Ewan felt himself falling through the air, stone both above him and beneath him, Ozzy standing up on the cliff in shock, having made it to the other side. Ewan felt himself hit the side of a hill, and within moments, he felt pain shoot down his side, sending him into a roll. Finally, he felt himself slide into the tree line, going into the forest, still tumbling.

Smack into another tree, a slip over a stone, and then it all stopped. Ewan felt his body aching, but he was surprised to feel he had enough energy to stand. Pushing himself up, he tried to figure out where he had come from, but as if by magic, his path had vanished behind him. None of the trees or the grass had left any imprint of his rolling fiasco.

He had nothing to go by, no way to get back to Ozzy, and he sighed in confusion, giving into that one thought in the back of his mind.

He was lost.

* * *

**Author's Note - So now that Ewan's had more screen time, your thoughts on his character? How do you feel about him? I'd love to know.**

**And just for you guys, a few words I used that you may not understand.**

_**Pepromena - The region in which this story is set. The name is derived from the greek word '****pepro̱méno' which means Destiny.**_

_**Tempori - One of the four regions separating Pepromena. This is the region where wildlife flourishes. **_

**And with that, I will see you next update.**

**WORD COUNT - 4307**


	3. Chapter 3 - Mystery Dungeon!

**Chapter 3 - Mystery Dungeon!**

* * *

**Forest Hill S1**

"Ozzy? Hello? OZZY!" Ewan called out, his voice bouncing off of the trees, echoing into the distance. Not a single reply came back. Was he really lost? "I guess I'll have to find my own way out then," He sighed, taking a few steps into the small clearing of forest he had rolled in to.

His eyes widened as he surveyed his surroundings. The colour of the sky was fading, the light blue being replaced by a dark purple haze. The trees began to darken, stumps turning black, while the leaves began to crumple up, becoming brown and shrivelled. Taking a step back, he noticed that the earth under his paws felt rougher than before, and as he looked down, the cracked earth beneath him caused his breathing to accelerate.

"What the hell?" He choked out, taking a few steps to his left in an attempt to clamber away through the trees.

When he looked at his escape though, he was surprised to see that the trees had bunched together, forming a seemingly solid wooden wall of bark and leaves, making sure that he could not go back the way he had came. That was when the fear of his situation set in, and he felt himself clutching his head, a slight headache forming from the stress.

_The forest changed! It feels so much more evil, if anything, it feels deadly! I don't know how I got here, but wherever 'here' is, I need to find Ozzy! He might know what's going on!_

It was then that the Mudkip noticed a small passage way to his left, a sort of corridor that led further into the forest. He had no leads, and the clearing he was in looked rather bleak, so without a second glance, he decided to go through the narrow passage.

Branches snagged at his head fin as he slowly crept down the path. That dark feeling he had felt earlier, when he was on the road with Ozzy, it was hitting him in abundance. He was so focussed on his inner thoughts that he failed to notice that the sky had vanished, a canopy of dark trees taking over. The trees were lifted up by steep rocky cliffs, not climbable in any way. They seemed to be mimicking the hills that he had seen while on the path, and as the corridor finally burst into another clearing, Ewan narrowed his eyes, noticing a figure sitting down by a stack of leaves.

His eyes rested on the unfamiliar shadow in front of him, smaller than his own height, but not by much. It seemed to scuttle along the floor, and as a tiny shred of light illuminated it's body, Ewan noticed to small mushrooms growing on its back. It had six legs, four rather small back legs, and two large pincer-like front legs. It's body was shaped like a crab, bright orange, while its face was hidden from view.

Giving a sigh of relief, Ewan realized it was a Pokémon, and quickly walked out into the clearing, making his presence known to the small crab insect.

"Excuse me, but do you know how to get back to the road?" Ewan asked, taking a few more steps towards the Pokémon. However, there was no reaction from the mysterious Pokémon, as if it had not heard him.

Taking another step forwards, a sudden change in the atmosphere occurred and Ewan found himself trembling for a moment. Something was not right here; deep down in the pit of his stomach, he could feel that something about this Pokémon was wrong. Was it sick?

"Are you okay?" He asked once more, now only a few paces away from the bug, holding out his front paw.

The Pokémon turned around, eyes red and bloodshot, Ewan gasping for a quick moment, as it quickly chucked itself towards the Mudkip. It outstretched a pincer, six small teeth bared in anger, and Ewan barely had time to register what had happened. That attack hit his side, causing him to flinch back in pain, as he felt a small droplet of blood on his side.

"What was that for?" He angrily asked, still expecting an answer from the Pokémon, instead getting something much worse in return. A giant yellow haze erupted from the mushrooms on its back, covering the area quickly with its foggy effect.

The Mudkip winced, feeling a large weight on his body all of a sudden. It was as if he was being forced down to the floor, except the only Pokémon was that bug thing, and it was on the other side of the clearing. How was he feeling so weighted? _Wait...The fog!_

As his body hit the floor, he gnashed his teeth together, holding his breath as he tried not to breathe in any more of the spores. The bug type was already pouncing towards the water type, its pincers outstretched once more, this time aimed at his face. Ewan tried to move, but his legs refused to cooperate, and fear began to show in his eyes as the bug type jumped up, ready to drop into his face.

With immense pain, Ewan found himself rolling slightly to the right, his body using all of its excess strength in order to do it, and so his body just collapsed. He was still conscious however, and that must have been the worst of it all. The Pokémon finally landed right next to him, and with a quick slap, Ewan felt his tail move on its own, smacking into the bug, knocking it backwards.

It was then that Ewan realized that the fog was beginning to lift, and he was finally getting movement back into his limbs. The shaken bug type let out a feral screech, before pouncing once more towards the Mudkip, but this time, Ewan had a plan. Jumping forwards, the Mudkip let his instincts take over, feeling a sudden pressure on his head as he slammed himself into the bug, knocking the mystery Pokémon back to the floor, smashing it into the dirt.

Feeling droplets of blood as he stood up, he looked at the damage he had caused. His charge had caused the Pokémon to scrape across the ground in a painful way, it's back completely shredded by the tough earth. It looked to be in absolute pain, but Ewan just took a step backwards, feeling a sharp shot of pain on his side where he had been scratched earlier in the fight.

His scratch wound was bleeding only slightly, but the graze was enough to slow his movements down as he walked away. "I need to get out of here..."

Wobbling slightly as he left the clearing, heading through another small passage, he was surprised to find that his wound was slowly beginning to hurt less and less. Looking back at the scratch, he was shocked to see that it had almost completely healed up. "I-It healed..."

The scales and skin looked almost as good as new, a bright blue shine glistening from the scales as he emerged into a lit up area. Looking away from his wound, his eyes rested upon a large stone pillar sitting in the centre of the room. It looked completely scratch free, designs etched across its surface. Strange carvings and symbols were finely carved into the stone, an ancient feel hanging around the towering object.

"A pillar?" He thought aloud, approaching it cautiously.

When he was right against the pillar, he placed a paw on its surface, feeling the smooth designs that were ridged across the pillar. "They feel so... ancient..."

Suddenly, the sound of leaves rustling caught his attention, the Mudkip spinning around the way he came, only to see the path fading away into the overgrowth. Bushed, trees, branches, vines and grass all seemed to shift around him, coming closer to the pillar, taking away his way back. Looking the other way, breathing heavily, he noticed fresh paths opening up in front of him.

* * *

**Forest Hill S2**

A loud rumbling filled the air, and Ewan felt the ground beginning to shake beneath him. He felt himself trip, falling onto the grass behind him. Looking up, his eyes widened in shock as the stone pillar began to descend into the ground, as if it was being swallowed by the earth. Dirt was thrown across the room where the pillar had once stood, some of the mud getting onto the water-type, and Ewan grimaced as the pillar finally vanished, grass replacing the disturbed dirt in a matter of moments.

Within a minute, it was as if there was never any stone pillar in the first place, and Ewan couldn't help but breathe faster as he looked at the new area around him. The forest was even darker than it was in the last area. The leaves of the trees were slowly turning a shade of purple, while the bark of the trees was turning completely grey. The ground was no longer soil or earth. There was just a stone grey layer ahead of him.

"What the heck is wrong with this place?" He thought aloud.

Taking a few steps forwards, he let himself wander into the maze of twisted halls and clearings, hoping that he would not run into another Pokémon. This place was hostile, and he could see why Ozzy didn't want him falling in here. Why didn't he just wait at the bridge?

"Can't think about that now," He groaned. "I need to find a way out of here."

A depressing atmosphere seemed to settle among the trees as Ewan continued to walk, branches seeming to wilt as he walked by. The only Pokémon that tried to attack him was a little green caterpillar bug, and it did not put up much of a fight. Ewan was able to beat it easily, but he couldn't help but dwell on his sudden instincts that were showing. They were not human, they were not his own, they were something else all together. It was like they didn't belong to him, but he was grateful nevertheless.

Finding another pillar like the one from before, he touched it, before being whisked off to another area, hoping he could find a way back to Ozzy.

* * *

**Mystery Hill**

It had all happened so fast, and he just stood there for a few moments, trying to take in what had happened. The bridge was there one second, and gone the next. The Blue Mudkip had fallen too far down the hill for Ozzy to see, and all he could do was breathe fast in worry.

Finally, he managed to croak out a few sounds. "E...Ewan?"

His call echoed down to the ground, but as the rumble seemed to stop, and the earth came to a stand-still, his legs were finally back in his control. Now he could react. "EWAN!?" He cried out, turning to run down the spire path of the hill. _Ewan, you better be safe! If you've been crushed, I'll never forgive myself! We just became friends too!_

He was taking too long. If Ewan had been crushed, he would need help faster than this. Taking a moment to pause, Ozzy felt a familiar feeling of helplessness wash around him, drowning his own thoughts in a haze that would not lift. He couldn't think, he couldn't feel. His friend was going to die...

_**You can't save him Ozzy...**_

_I-I-I have t-to try..._

_**What's the point. You'll never make it in time. Why don't you just sit down and wait for someone to find you. **_

_I can't leave him behind. He's my friend..._

_**Haha, you think the Mudkip wants a friend. No... He's just using you...**_

_He would never u-_

_**You've only known him for a few hours. Hardly enough time to bond with the creature...**_

_Stop it... He's a Pokémon, he needs rescuing..._

_**He's just using your skills to get to Paradisal Town. Then he will just leave you alone...**_

_I-I don't want to be alone again..._

_**He'll just abandon you on the side of the road. He might give you a smile or a wave, but then he'll leave and you will never see his face again. He's just like everyone else. Unjust, untrusting, disloyal... Do you want to go through that pain? Do you?**_

_No._

Ozzy closed his eyes, letting a few tears fall, as he slammed his fist into the ground, feeling a sharp pain as it scraped along the rocks. The pain seemed to shoot through him, straight into his subconscious.

_But I'm still going to save him._

_**What? You want to save that worthless Mudkip!**_

_There's something about him... It makes me feel a little brave inside. I felt more relaxed than I had ever been while talking with Ewan, and I mean that in a good way. Something about him just makes me more confident._

_**It's all your imagination Ozzy. That Mudkip is nothing more than a useless little fish with no loya-**_

_You're wrong! You're my imagination! YOU ARE NOT REAL!_

And then the voice was gone, vanished. And Ozzy stood there, shaking and trembling, but he knew what he had to do.

"Ewan, I'm coming to save you!" He cried out, darting towards the edge of the road, where the hill sloped down to a lower path. Jumping off of the edge, his feet caught the hillside, and he felt himself sliding down, rocks and grass being flung out of the way as the determined Treecko managed to hit the next path.

When he reached the bottom of the hill, his eyes darted around the fallen debris of the stone bridge, trying to spot the blue amongst the white and grey. With a panicked yell, he shouted out, "Can you hear me Ewan?" But there was no response, the cry echoing across the grass and rock of the hill, before vanishing into the air. It was then that he heard a snap behind him.

Spinning around, the green Treecko turned to look at the small clearing between himself and the tree line. Trees seemed to dot themselves around the hill in a tight bunch, and the grass of the clearing looked messed up. As if something had fallen and crushed the blades with weight. "Ewan?" He called out, taking a few steps towards the trees, eyes resting on a small branch which was lain across the ground, snapped in half. Finding himself running up to it, his eyes noticed the small red marks in the grass next to the stick, and with a gasp, he realised what it was.

"Blood... Ewan fell into the trees... Into the dungeon." Snapping his head up to look at the trees, a dark and foreboding feel surrounded the Treecko, dread replacing the hope that he had only just gained. But, his friend was in there, somewhere, and he needed to be saved! "Ewan... I'll find you!"

And with that, Ozzy darted forwards into the trees, slipping into the darkness, unaware of the shadow that had been watching him from the hillside.

* * *

**Forest Hill S3**

The progress was slow for the Mudkip as he continued his trek through the colourful forest, darkness becoming a major thing on his path. There had been no light since he had last left the pillar, and he was beginning to wonder whether it was night-time yet. As his walking pace slowed, he heard a noise, a rumbling sound. He turned left and right, standing still, waiting to see what was there, but then the rumbling sound met his ears again. Only it was much closer.

"Who's there?" He called, trying to keep his voice from cracking. He needed his poker face, he couldn't let whatever was watching him think he was scared.

The growl was so loud no, that he jumped back, shielding himself with one of his front paws, covering his eyes in fear. He was trembling, unable to comprehend what was happening. And then he heard the rumble for the final time, and he mentally face pawed himself for his stupidity. He was so afraid that even his own stomach had sounded like a monster... But he was surprised at how hungry he was getting.

"I haven't eaten anything today..." He grumbled, a frown forming on his face as he continued his walk, even slower than he thought possible.

As he emerged into another clearing, he was met with a terrifying sight. Just a few paces away, a couple of small blue berries sat, illuminated by a tiny ray of light, the only light in the room. But behind the berries, a pair of purple rat Pokémon sat, eyes closed in sleep. Ewan would have passed them by, but the berries were tempting, especially for his stomach which needed food.

_Just don't make any loud noises, Ewan._

He slowly inched towards the nearest berry, being careful not to step on any stray branches or leaves, ready to grab it. But then the horror and the realisation kicked in. He couldn't pick up the berries with his paws! He would have to eat the berry there... _I need to learn to walk on two feet..._

Slowly lowering himself to the first berry, he took a small bite out of it, eyes on the purple rats, hoping they would not wake up. As the juices burst out of the berry, he found some of it dripping onto his face, and he grimaced slightly at the feeling, that was, until he felt the berry's effect on his body. His weariness vanished, his aches disappearing, muscles suddenly full of energy. He was feeling refreshed!

Smiling at the feeling, Ewan quickly chomped down the berry, leaving the second for the two rats that were still asleep. His stomach had seemingly stopped bothering him, and now Ewan felt more alive and ready to get out of the gloomy place. Just as he was about to leave the clearing, however, he heard a cry.

**Criaaaaaaa!**

He span around, seeing the two rats racing towards him at super fast speed. He jumped to his left, feeling a claw run down his side, as one of the rats turned to grab him. Quickly whipping his tail in the direction of the rat that had hit him, he heard a cry of pain, and the rat hit a tree stump nearby. Taking this chance to move, Ewan felt himself running down a small side path, the sound of the two rats still close on his heels. He needed to get out of there and fast!

Taking a left, and then a right, his eyes widened in shock as he ran into a dead end. Turning, he caught a glimpse of his two pursuers, slowly closing in from behind, the whites of their eyes illuminated in the darkness. Their pupils were bright red, a shine illuminating them.

Ewan gulped, ready to make a dive to escape, seeing the first rat jump towards him. He dived to the right, only to be hit by the second rat, who knocked him backwards into a bush. The branches on the bush poked at Ewan's side, causing the water-type to flinch in pain as the two rats closed in for the kill. The Mudkip closed his eyes, shaking, ready for the inevitable attack.

But it never came. And when his eyes opened, he was face to face with a familiar figure, and two rats close behind. One of the rats was limping, and the other was staring down the figure of Ozzy, who stood there, arms outstretched.

"If you want him, you'll have to get through me," Ozzy stated, staring into those red eyes of the rat.

A loud screech hit Ewan's ears, and he cringed, noticing that the rats had begun to back off. He couldn't believe his eyes as the forms of his attackers vanished into the shadows, like they were never there, and as he turned to Ozzy, he heard a sigh of relief.

"That was close..." As Ozzy turned to Ewan, the Mudkip could see that his friend was covered in small bruises and cuts, just like himself.

"Ozzy... What?"

"No time for that Ewan. I think they'll be coming back soon. We need to get out of this place," The Treecko grimaced, motioning for Ewan to follow him, which Ewan did gladly.

"But where is this place? Where the heck are we, and why is everything trying to kill us?"

"We're in a cursed place - a Mystery Dungeon. It's a place where reality and logic seems to get flung out of the window, in favour of confusion and chaos. Although, if that's too symbolical, I guess it's just a giant maze with lots of floors and areas," Ozzy explained as they walked, looking around carefully. "The reason why everything wants to kill us. Well - None of the Pokémon here are sentient. They're all feral and wilds, no intelligence whatsoever."

Ewan widened his eyes, shocked at what he was hearing. "A maze? Feral Pokémon..."

"Ewan, keep calm. We're in the last sector, we should escape at the next pillar," Ozzy consoled, giving Ewan a sympathetic look.

"You mean those pillars are important?" He asked surprised. There was something odd about those ancient cylindrical stones... I guess it was a lot clearer now. "They transport us to different sectors."

Ozzy nodded, giving a small smile. "You know, this is the first time I've been in a Mystery Dungeon. I read about them and studied them, but this is all new to me," Ozzy laughed, continuing down the path, leaving Ewan dumbstruck.

"You mean you've never been in one of these _dungeons_ before?"

"Nope, first time for everything though, right," He laughed, leaving Ewan even more confused.

_This guy... What is it about that Treecko. He's just so easy going... Or is he over-acting? I can't even tell at this point, I just want to get out of this place. _Ewan turned to look at his friend, who was smiling while walking, seemingly relaxed about the whole ordeal. "Ozzy, how are you so calm?"

The Treecko paused, and Ewan could see his shoulders droop slightly, his entire posture changing in an instant. Now he looked rather depressed... Almost sad. "I never said I was..."

The reply was so quiet that Ewan could barely even hear hit, but by Ozzy's bitter tone, it seemed to be a good time to drop the subject. Instead, he focussed on something that Ozzy had said before. "Um - Ozzy? What did you mean when you said this was a _cursed place_?"

As Ozzy turned to look at Ewan, a smile was on his face again as they walked into a small clearing, and there, right in front of them, stood the pillar, and according to Ozzy, it was the one that would set them free. "Well, some theorists believe Mystery Dungeons are separate from our world, like anomalies. Most anomalies are considered bad, and as the layout of these mazes always change, and everything seems to have that eerie feel, people call these places cursed."

As they touched the pillar, Ewan couldn't help but wonder about Ozzy's knowledge. He obviously knew a lot about these dungeons, so he had to have a reason for it. But Ewan bit down on his curiosity, deciding to go against it instead. "Let's get out of here," He sighed, as the pillar made the trees move to the side, parting ways, until the two Pokémon were hit by bright sunlight. It was so light that it almost blinded Ewan, but as they let go of the pillar, and it vanished into the ground, they found themselves on the edge of a forest.

* * *

**Route 203**

"Well this is a great turn of events," Ozzy laughed, looking out at the scenery around them.

A large dirt path, just like the road we had been following from Coral Town, stretched out ahead of them, sloping up and down some small meadows, some stray trees here and there. To their left was a large mountain, which seemed to be ever-present, in the distance from Coral Town. A large waterfall hung in the distance, the roaring of the water calming Ewan's nerves somewhat as he listened to the crash and boom of water on the rocks.

To their right, a large seaside cliff, along with a vast ocean, spread itself out, going across the fields as far as the eye could see. The sun, which was now hanging further to the ground, illuminated the water, causing a light shimmer on the surface of the sea. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

"Ewan, that waterfall over there leads straight into Paradisal Town. We've almost made it," Ozzy stated, eyes wide with excitement, although Ewan was unsure as to why. "Come on! Town's this way!"

The Treecko quickly leapt onto the path, his feet carrying him all the way across the fields, Ewan trying to keep up behind, a small smile on the Mudkip's face as he chased his friend. And then his friend stopped at the top of a slightly large hill, overlooking the seaside. Ewan finally caught up with him.

"Wait up Ozzy! You are too fa-" But his voice cut off as he saw what Ozzy was looking at.

"Ewan, welcome to Paradisal Town."

* * *

**AU - I totally need to make a world map. I'll probably post it on my Deviant Art, updated with every new chapter. Well, I hope you enjoyed. Apologies for the two day delay, but it was much tougher writing about the dungeon than I initially thought, since I was trying to be as vague as possible. I'll be introducing game mechanics with dungeons in a later chapter.**

**Also, for those confused about my dungeon naming scheme. The S3 meant Sector 3, since it wasn't a cave dungeon, and would have sectors over floors.**

**If possible, I would like a review this chapter, since I need some feedback on this and the last chapter badly. **

**~Cenobia100**

**(NOTE - A reviewer that I could not reply to asked about the naming of my Pokemon characters. And I can safely say yes, Ewan and Ozzy are based off of the pair, Eyan and Ozzy, from the Superskarmory walkthrough for Pokemon Mystery Dungeon - Explorers of Darkness. I couldn't imagine a game without a Treecko called Ozzy as a partner, and Ewan came about because I thought the name Eyan was spelled with a 'W' instead of a 'Y.')**


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